This series and I have had quite the journey. The first book was a bit of a disappointment and the second book managed to improve things a little. However, it seems this series was doing a lot of little things to add up to something big, because the third book was where things really started to get juicy.
Stacey and her friends have finally graduated high school, and are now on vacation at a beach cottage for the summer. Everything is going great until Stacey begins to have awful nosebleeds and nightmares about a girl named Clara, who lives down the row of cottages. Once again, Stacey has to race against the clock to find out who wants to kill Clara and why, before the worst tragedy Stacey can imagine comes to pass.
This book is a breath of fresh air from the previous installments, if only because we are in a new location. The beach cottage setting is cute and brings back memories of teenage summers spent eating junk food and laying on the sand, but now with a darker edge. I like the contrast between the bleakness of Stacey’s nightmares and the sunny vacation vibe, seeing a place full of light and excitement turned scary.
There are still moments of petty drama between Drea, Chad, and Stacey, but at least everyone is on more or less the same page in supporting Stacey and taking her nightmares and spells seriously. Of course, Clara being an obnoxious little flirt does not help matters between Chad and Drea, and sometimes even between Stacey and her boyfriend Jacob, who suddenly starts acting distant from the group.
It’s especially sad to see Stacey and Jacob have their spats since Jacob has been on Stacey’s side from day one, even sharing her affinity for folk magic. But it quickly becomes clear that something is troubling Jacob and no one can get him to crack. Stacey is probably at her loneliest during those moments; it’s one thing for you and your friends to be on shaky ground, but when your significant other is acting distant, that’s another kind of hurt altogether.
Give this book credit: it has one of the best twists in the entire series, and the climax is infamous among fans. Honestly, it was the only part of this book that I remember from the first read-through. I raced through it again this time, wanting to see if it was as intense as I remember. While knowing what was going to happen did make it lose some of its punch, I did still enjoy the way it played out, with all the cards laid out on the table for the next story.
I can probably say this is the best book so far, if only because the general story is so memorable. The ending twist is the most satisfying and crazy, and I simply love how everyone is finally tracking with Stacey’s instincts. Time to see if the last book also lives up to its legacy.
The Library Key 